Dear Joan,I think Master Yang Zhenduo developed 49 Form by mid-eighties and in 1997, the form became the official Yang Family Competition and demonstration form. There are the same movements as in 103 Form, but without repetitions, so, in a competition, it could be done between 7 - 8 minutes.Greetings,

Thanks, Ruben for the explanation of the 49 form. Is it learned more often now than the short form?I find it very interesting and will begin working on it. I know the short and long forms and now will have something else to work on.

When people in the US talk about the "short form," they are usually referring to the form that Cheng Man-Ch'ing developed. He was one of the first to popularize Tai Ch'i in the U.S., and his form remains quite popular. I believe that some people that have followed his legacy and understanding have also gone back to the longer traditional form, but preserving his flavor. The first form I learned was such a form.

Many other teachers have also created shortened versions of the traditional form and call them by various names. A few others have even created "new" long versions of the form, while still calling what they do "Yang Style." I say all this because although most experienced Tai Chi players in the U.S. will understand a reference to the "Short Form," this version of the form has been adopted only by those following Cheng Man-Ch'ing's legacy. Other Yang Style players do not really talk about a long form and a short form. Most such players would also probably care less about the sequence and number of postures than about the flavor which is given to the performance of the postures. A person doing the 103 with Cheng Man-Ch'ing's flavor will look quite different from someone performing the same postures, but with the Association's flavor.

In the Association we are urged to use the 103-movement (also counted by some as 108 or 85) form for our general practice. As Rubén has described, we also learn and teach a 49-movement form that is used primarily for demonstration or competition purposes. Some also practice it right after practicing the 103 in order to lengthen their practice session. We also have a 16-movement form that I believe was designed to be used in college curricula in China and a 13-movement form that most use as an introduction to Tai Chi for those not yet inclined or able to learn the traditional 103.